Armenians Struggle for the Right to Die without Pain

Opiates, legal for dying patients but nearly impossible to obtain, are not to be found in Armenia's rural clinics. (Photo: Dean C.K. Cox)

For Heghine Simonian, the memories of her 27-year-old daughter’s suffering are still raw. She can hear her daughter’s pleas for relief from the pain caused by terminal-stage breast cancer, yet no help was available -- for the simple reason she lacked access to painkillers.

Alleviating the suffering of the terminally ill often is difficult, if not impossible in Armenia. Although eligible patients are entitled to free, state-subsidized opioid painkillers, the process for acquiring them can prove so complicated and time-consuming that patients often die before they receive the medication.